Game skills or fundamental movement skills for the promotion of physical activity outcomes among primary school children? Outcomes of a cross-sectional study

Background: During sports, high level players extract more relevant game information using perceptual-cognitive skills and use their motor skills to engage in more purposeful and high quality play. Despite motor and... [ view full abstract ]

Background: During sports, high level players extract more relevant game information using perceptual-cognitive skills and use their motor skills to engage in more purposeful and high quality play. Despite motor and perceptual-cognitive skills being required for purposeful involvement in sports, only motor skill competence has been used to investigate relationships between physical competence and physical activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between object control competence, game play competence and physical activity in primary school children.

Methods: Cross sectional. Actual and perceived object control were assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development – 3^rd Edition, and a Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence respectively. Actual and perceived game play were assessed using a modified Game Play Assessment, and a Game Play Perception Profile respectively. Physical activity (PA) was assessed via accelerometery. 107 children (43% boys, 57% girls) aged 9 – 12 years (M 10.5, SD 0.65) completed assessments. Regression models (age, sex and cluster adjusted) were performed for object control competence predicting game pay competence, and for PA predicted by each of the actual and perceived object control and game play competence variables.

Results: Actual object control competence accounted for 3.5% (p = 0.001) of the variance in game play competence. For PA as the outcome, actual object control and game play competence accounted for 3.9% (p <0.000) and 14.1% (p <0.000) of variance respectively, and perceived object control and game play competence accounted for 11.7% (p <0.000) and 14.1% (p <0.000) of variance respectively.

Conclusion: Whilst object control and game play competence were significantly associated, game play competence accounted for a greater proportion of physical activity than object control competence. This study provides evidence for the importance of improving game based competence among primary school students when the focus is on physical activity outcomes.